Vegan Mexican restaurant Gracias Madre is now closed after 14 years of serving diners dishes like cashew-based queso fundido in the Mission District.
The news was first reported by Mission Local. The San Francisco location of what’s now a chain is no longer listed on the Gracias Madre website. A representative for the restaurant group could not be reached for comment.
Gracias Madre manager Joseph Donohue told Mission Local that the restaurant at 2211 Mission St. was no longer financially sustainable. Business, which was strong before the pandemic, had slowed to a halt, he said. In January 2020, just before the pandemic, former Chronicle restaurant critic Soleil Ho wrote that the restaurant “generates some of the longest wait times out of all the restaurants in the Mission.”
Matthew and Terces Englehart, of vegan chain Cafe Gratitude — where one makes positive affirmations when ordering from the menu — opened Gracias Madre at its longtime home on Mission Street near 18th Street in late 2009. The restaurant’s takes on enchiladas doused in mole and tacos made with plant proteins earned a lot of buzz from diners after opening. Former Chronicle restaurant critic Michael Bauer enjoyed the “bold and sophisticated seasoning” found in Gracias Madre dishes like the pozole, chilaquiles and the queso fundido with cauliflower.
Both Cafe Gratitude and Gracias Madre currently operate locations in the Los Angeles area. San Francisco’s Cafe Gratitude closed in 2014.
Reach Mario Cortez: mario.cortez@sfchronicle.com
